Anyone Been To A Bike "Fitting" Place?

Pufftmw

I'm guessing that some people have as otherwise they wouldn't exist but "was it worth it" and did you notice the difference?

This came about by my being the sort of get on n ride it type of person. Works well 95% of the time in the last 40 years. A couple of years ago, I went for clipons and bought a set of specialised shoes. All good and dandy as my casual riding (although I try to go as fast as poss everywhere) seemed to work OK.

Then I did 2x Llandegla Black back to back, followed by my first XC race a few days later & my knees were both knackered. It's eased up now but in my investigations it might appear that my cleats were incorrectly set up and/or my seat height,/rake etc. Now I like my knees very much, so want to ensure that they work properly at all times (do karate as well which also needs healthy knees) so possibly looking to invest in a proper set up session.

Do they work?

RealMan

I had one done (I only did it because it was offered to me free by a mate), I think he usually charges about £30-40 for it, which is reasonable. Its fairly worth it, especially if you're worried about your knees. It really can make a difference.

The session isn't fun though. They stick this pole right up into your balls.

supersonic

It is important to ge the correct size and try bikes out, but unless you are having a custom frame built I don't see the need for this. For a start you will not find an off the peg bike with the exact geometry and spec that the results will give you, therefore you may as well just sit on a few bikes, fiddle with the adjustment, test ride and choose the best.

Also different bikes often require a different set up. There is no way these things can tell you what stem lenth works best for you when on the trail. Testing, not the tape measure is the best way.

RealMan

It isn't just about geometry, although that can give you an idea of what frame might be best for a certain need.

They give different results depending on what you want - eg: xc, road, dh, etc.

There is saddle height, saddle position, saddle angle, crank length, bar width, reach, stem length, and more, plus all the geometry info.

I agree, not everything is a strict rule, as you might prefer a wider bar. It just tells you what's best for you physically, and your type of riding.

Mine helped me loads get my new bike perfect.

supersonic

Then you get out on the trail - and it all feels different. It ain't gonna tell you how a DH bike feels when you are ripping around a corner on a steep hill!

They may work for some people, but I can't recommend it for most MTbers.

Rockhopper

I always thought this was something that was more geared towards road bikes.

GHill

My LBS does a cut down version of this when you buy the bike, what they set me up with didn't feel right out on the mountain so I've had to change most of what they did.

Roadies going to the same store say the fitting service is excellent though.

fletch8928

I have always, well recently fancied having a sizing done but i would be very upset if i found out that my bikes didnt fit me at all. I am with Supersonic here on that you will tweek it to fit once out on the trail. Its all well and good sitting down but when your shifting about surely it all goes to pot?

I tend to go for the hmmm maybe a hi-riser or that saddle off my?? a longer/shorter stem. Thats only after i have given myself time to really get used to a bike and i have those sort of things knocking about anyway.

Back o the original post, is it not a case of maybe loosening the tension or playing around with the cleats? You didnt say there were any problems before clippless so i would say the bike is fine its just the new system that needs working on?

mancjon

I've had a bike fitting because of knee/back problems. Major benefit i got from the fitting was i needed insert into my shoes as i have a pronation problem. But i benefitted far more from physio.

If you have been riding for 2 years with clipless and have been okay then it doesn't sound like a fitting issue to be honest, especially as you say you go as fast as possible normally.It sounds more like an overuse issue ie. 2 black runs followed by an XC race could just have been a bit more than your knees are used to.

One thing i have found is very important if you have dodgy knees is to make sure your feet are set at the right angle when clipped in. So if you sit on a table and let your feet dangle in a relaxed position make a note of what angle your feet are at and then make sure your feet are the same angle when clipped in.

Jon

RealMan

supersonic wrote:

Then you get out on the trail - and it all feels different. It ain't gonna tell you how a DH bike feels when you are ripping around a corner on a steep hill!

Well duh, if you adjust things on your bike and it doesn't feel different, you've obviously not done much, or you're not in touch with the bike. The whole idea is to make the bike different. To make it better.

And its nothing to do with telling you how a bike "feels". Its to tell you how best to set it up, and perhaps what size to go for.

supersonic

A good shop will ensure you are in a good position anyway and have a suitable size, and go through the bike and how it may feel, and what changes will do. You shouldn't have to pay 40 quid for them to tell you what height seat you should have. It doesn't tell you how the bike is going to feel when on the trail, and in my honest opinion, may narrow things down way too much and put people in the mindset that, once measured, that is it.

Anyone that tells you you need this length crank, this height seatpost, this length toptube etc without you having ridden a/the bike is frankly talking bollocks. A good shop will have you riding round on a bike and getting feedback, and put you in a good position so you can make adjustments as needed when you have gone out and ridden properly - and to be honest, moving your seatpost up and down hardly needs a degree.

nicklouse

supersonic wrote:

Anyone that tells you you need this length crank, this height seatpost, this length toptube etc without you having ridden a/the bike is frankly talking Roadie.

supersonic

Hehe, well they only have two riding positions, I suppose it may work well for them after sitting on a jig in a shop ;-)

The only time I can really see it being of benefit (on an MTB) is if you know your measurements, and are buying blind off the net - it will put you in the ball park. But if you have visited a shop anyway...

Always insist that a shop lets you ride it outside - or loan it on a proper test. Test it out, lean it over in turns, hop, pull the front up, wheelie if you can: make adjustments, ask the shop to change stuff. Will put you in a decent idea of basic handling - but as above you will find you might tweak when out ie 10mm off the stem, saddle further back etc. Saddles vary in profile, as do tyre depths, peddle depths and all sorts of little things that can add up. It is also true to say, that to an extent, you do get used to and overcome some minor 'problems'.

llamafarmer

I've had a fitting and it was definitely useful and I think it's more critical when you're using SPDs. I also had knee trouble, so went to a physio and was referred to a cycle coach who spent about an hour with me helping to tweak my bike to fit. He mainly moved my saddle height and position and re-positioned my cleats, but he also put my bike on the turbo trainer and gave me a few tips on pedalling technique. He was a roadie coach, but I definitely felt I picked up enough info in that hour to have made it worth the £30 he charged me. You can read up about riding positions all you want, but in my opinion it really helps to have someone stand back and look at your position while you're on the bike and pedalling.

Having said that, I wouldn't now go and pay the £100 or so a local shop quoted me for their fitting service!

paul.skibum

Just ride with the saddle dropped and pedal standing up - problem solved......

llamafarmer

mancjon wrote:

If you have been riding for 2 years with clipless and have been okay then it doesn't sound like a fitting issue to be honest, especially as you say you go as fast as possible normally.It sounds more like an overuse issue ie. 2 black runs followed by an XC race could just have been a bit more than your knees are used to.

I'd also agree with this. A trip to a physio might be worthwhile if you keep having problems, but it might just be that your leg muscles are tight/knotted. I was told to do a bit of 'deep muscle massage' on my quads (ie massage them really hard until you're wincing in pain ) and I can feel it my knee when I do.

blakef111

i'm biased in my opinion here as in my lbs I am the sizing guy, and i have to say the amount of customers that have come back to me with thanks and on occasion chocolate, i had one customer who was having terrible knee and bum pain, she was a week away from doing the london edinburough london she came back after it after doing a fantastic time and being supremely comfortable, another factor that is important with sizing is if you ride both road and mtb, it lets you transition between bikes comfortably,

supersonic

blakef111 wrote:

i'm biased in my opinion here as in my lbs I am the sizing guy, and i have to say the amount of customers that have come back to me with thanks and on occasion chocolate, i had one customer who was having terrible knee and bum pain, she was a week away from doing the london edinburough london she came back after it after doing a fantastic time and being supremely comfortable, another factor that is important with sizing is if you ride both road and mtb, it lets you transition between bikes comfortably,

Do you charge for that though? Is it not just part of customer service?

blakef111

customer service if they're buying the bike, and to really really good customers, but otherwise its £30

Pufftmw

Well, got the pennies together & yesterday I went to Mosquito in London, N1 for a fitting.

I'm not yet sure what the actual differences will mean for me in the longterm but my cleats needed to move forward 2cm to start with. In addition my seat height was too low. Apparently I have good flexibility so it's now high, almost uncomfortably so but I will check that. Just waiting for the data to come back against my bike to completely set it up.

Main thing is that I have gained knowledge on what/how to look for things when setting up a bike, also in my posture (I tend to hunch). I immediately raised the height on my Gary Fisher (commuter hack) and will set the rest of it up this weekend.

The only downside I forsee is that I am going to be finding new muscles in places that I never new existed before as I use them instead of the "usual" ones :?


(They had a spring loaded measuring device for the inside leg measurement so nothing was poked anywhere - thankfully :oops: )